ABSTRACT The Administration and Training Core (CORE A) of this Program will pursue five key goals for maximally efficient administration and execution of Program activities, Core operations, and successful completion of the specific aims of each Project. The goals of CORE A are: first, coordinate meetings between the Program Director, Associate Director, Principal Investigators, Program Postdoctoral Trainees and Core Directors to ensure intellectual and technical integration as well as productivity; second, oversee budgetary and financial operations of all Projects and Cores to manage personnel efficiently, utilize resources, and maintain compliance with University and NIH policies; third, establish robust Executive, Program Oversight, and External Scientific Advisory Committees to establish strategy, monitor progress, and resolve conflicts; fourth, supervise publication and information management of the Projects and Cores to guarantee high quality peer- reviewed publications, establish new databases, and ensure public access to our findings via a Program website; fifth, oversee rigorous training and career development for postdoctoral trainees recruited to work between PROJECTS 1, 2 and 3. We include administrative and mentoring plans for these trainees to ensure optimal scientific and career development. The staff includes: Program Director (PD), Anthony-S. LaMantia, Ph.D., Associate Director (AD), Sally A. Moody, Ph.D., Fiscal Manager Mr. Dima Brown, and Program Administrator Ms. Minh Thu Nguyen. Dr. LaMantia and Dr. Moody have substantial administrative, editorial, and training experience at the institutional, national, and international levels. Dr. LaMantia has served as Associate Director of a Conte Center Program Project for two cycles, a Core director for an NINDS resource grant, a reviewing editor for the journal Cerebral Cortex, and the founding director of the GW Institute for Neuroscience. Dr Moody has served as the Director of a Neuroscience T32 Training Grant, Director of the GW Neuroscience graduate program, Associate Director of the GW Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Treasurer of the Society for Developmental Biology, and Editor-in-Chief of genesis, The Journal of Genetics and Development. The combined experience of the PD and AD provide a strong foundation for effective administrative leadership. CORE A staff, with oversight from the Program Oversight Committee will have primary responsibility for planning and scheduling of Program meetings and forums, monitoring fiscal, compliance, personnel and conflict resolution, facilitating publications, managing data, and establishing robust training and career development opportunities for Program postdoctoral trainees. Thus, CORE A will maximize productivity, enhance ongoing collaborations, and ensure sound fiscal and compliance management for this Program Project. NARRATIVE Efficient management and oversight of scientific integration, budget, personnel, information, and publication are key for a successful multi-investigator program. CORE A provides effective management and oversight by facilitating frequent meetings, providing conscientious fiscal as well as executive and external scientific oversight and compliance with NIH, GW, and CNMC policies. CORE A will enhance progress by arranging colloquia, facilitating publication and data management, and providing integrative training for postdoctoral trainees recruited to work between the 3 Projects and 4 Cores that constitute the Program.